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chapter 38
Celebrix Pharmaceuticals.
Wasn’t that the very company I’d been thinking about just moments ago?
And not for a good reason.
They were the kind of people who carried out human experiments through illegal channels just to test their new products.
And since I even knew where their raw materials came from…
“Eddie?”
…Ah. My thoughts had wandered a bit too far.
To think someone I’d deliberately avoided getting tangled with had come looking for me on purpose.
It felt like some kind of cruel joke from fate, but still — work was work.
At Mia’s prompting, I opened my mouth toward the man seated in the VIP room.
“I’m Eddie, the fixer. You’re the one who requested me by name?”
“Y-Yes… yes, that’s right. A designated request.”
Hm?
It was only a brief exchange, but something already felt off.
The man from Celebrix didn’t match the image I had in mind — he was far more awkward and hesitant than expected.
A deception, maybe?
As I sat down across from him — a man named John Skoige — I gave him a questioning look.
He blinked, looking flustered for a moment, then seemed to catch on and hurriedly added,
“T-The, uh… the reason it’s a designated request is because… well, if it were a general one, other fixers could access the job info, even a little bit… so, um, for security. Security reasons.”
What the hell is with this guy?
Did he really think I’d been asking for an explanation?
My gaze, now mixed with mild exasperation, turned toward Mia.
Seriously? This is the guy?
Mia only shrugged in reply.
Guess he’d been like this from the very first contact.
Still, he didn’t fit at all with the ruthless image I had of Celebrix.
So I decided then — I’d stop mentally linking him to the company for now.
My preconceptions were getting in the way of clear thinking.
Better to start from a blank slate.
I focused on him and asked in a calm, serious tone,
“Security, huh… All right. Then what’s the request?”
“W-well… that’s, um… a secret. For security reasons.”
…Should I just kill him?
Maybe he noticed my incredulous stare, because John scratched his greasy head awkwardly.
“A-Ah, well, you see…”
“Haa…”
This wasn’t going anywhere.
Instead of waiting for him to collect his thoughts, I asked something that had been bugging me since I walked in.
“Did you come here alone?”
“Huh? Uh… yes, I did.”
Alone?
“Then this is a personal request. Not from the company, right?”
“Y-Yes. That’s correct.”
That made sense.
If this were an official company job, even in a VIP room, he would’ve brought at least a bodyguard or an assistant.
To people like him, a fixer’s office must look like a den of wild beasts.
At that confirmation, I mentally discarded all my earlier theories about Celebrix possibly hiring me directly.
“And… someone’s after you, right?”
“H-how did you—?”
Please.
Anyone could tell just by looking at him.
His bloodshot eyes from lack of sleep, greasy hair, stained lab coat…
At first glance, it screamed “overworked researcher,” but the constant tension in his shoulders and how he kept scanning the room told a different story — fear.
Interesting.
I’d only probed casually, but he confessed right away.
Clearly not in a state to lie.
“Got it. So — you’re a researcher from Celebrix, being hunted by someone, not protected by your company, and whatever your request is, it’s so secret you can’t say it outright. That about right?”
“Ah…”
His already pale face drained of what little color remained.
That was enough; no need to press further.
I’d confirmed the essentials — his situation, not his story.
“If this were an official Celebrix job, I’d have refused immediately. I don’t stick my hands into filth.”
I continued, watching the fidgeting man across from me.
“And that goes for you too — I still have no desire to get tangled with a Celebrix employee.
But since this is a personal request, I’ll hear you out.
Convince me.”
After all, this was a classified, carefully routed approach — even came with a referral from Aires, the guild master.
Meaning his options were limited.
So were mine, admittedly.
I crossed one leg over the other and waited for his answer — already half-expecting to turn him down.
“Um…”
After a moment of visible hesitation, John finally spoke.
“I-It’s dangerous, so you can refuse if you want. I don’t want to drag someone else into danger because of my situation… So I can’t… can’t tell you the full request right away.”
“…Huh.”
What is with this guy?
He sure knew how to surprise people.
How could someone with that kind of conscience even survive inside Celebrix?
Even Mia let out a small sound of admiration at his words.
He was… unexpectedly decent.
Decent enough to make me feel a little embarrassed for judging him beforehand.
I uncrossed my legs and asked,
“All right. So what now? You can’t tell me what the job is, but you still want me to do it?”
“N-no, not exactly… I’ve thought of a way we can build trust and make progress on the request.”
“Oh?”
A way to build trust while working together?
There were several — most of them unpleasant — but considering who said it, maybe it was worth hearing.
“What’s your idea?”
He hesitated, glancing up at me before finally saying,
“There are some really, uh… bad people supplying illegal drugs to gangs. They collect data from those deals too. If you could… clean out one of their operation sites, I’ll pay you an advance first.”
Not bad.
It’d serve as both a skill test and a way to establish enmity with the same “bad people” who were likely tied to his real enemies.
That way, he wouldn’t need to worry about secrecy later — we’d already be on the same side.
And clearing out a gang wasn’t exactly the kind of job I found morally troubling.
So yeah, it was a pretty good setup — assuming the price was right.
A gang extermination job.
If my guess was right, the target would be Blue Plane.
For a gang of that size… I’d charge at least 500,000 credits—
“T-the advance payment is 5 million credits.”
“…”
Wait. Five million?
If the advance was five million, how much was the total supposed to be?
Didn’t he say this was a personal request?
Guess working for a major pharma company did pay well.
But if this was the advance… how much would I get for the actual job?
I was still mulling that over when he added,
“A-and this is the completion reward.”
Thunk.
He placed something small on the table — like he was casually offering me a health drink.
But the instant I saw it, I froze in shock.
“This is…”
A tiny vial, no bigger than my finger.
But the golden liquid sealed within the crystal glass was unmistakable.
‘Parameters.’
Also known as the First Awakening Elixir.
In the game world, it was a rare potion that unlocked latent abilities — a crucial item for players looking to enhance their traits.
And here it was… in front of me?
Even Mia, who’d stayed silent through all this, gasped and covered her mouth with her sleeve.
“Wh—!”
No wonder.
Even outside a player’s perspective, that potion alone was worth a fortune.
If I could get my hands on it, a huge portion of my long-term plans could be skipped altogether.
Why did I need a forged ID worth ten million credits again?
Oh right — to access certain systems and services that made life easier.
But more importantly…
With a valid ID, I could access the Market — something unavailable offline.
And the main reason I wanted access to that Market… was this very potion.
It sold for at least twenty million credits there — and that was if you could even find one in stock.
And now, out of nowhere, something that could leapfrog my entire plan had just appeared before me.
At the same time, fragmented bits of knowledge in my head began connecting.
In the game, when players got involved in the Celebrix corporate war, they’d eventually infiltrate the company itself.
Inside, they could find various records and key items — one of which was Parameters.
And near it, a collectible called John’s Neurochip.
I’d never thought much of it before — just some random item with no description.
Wait. That John?
I hadn’t realized it because “John” was such a common name, but now it clicked.
So that’s it.
This guy… stole Parameters from Celebrix.
And that explained the absurd amount of money, too.
He’d probably taken that as well.
In the original storyline, John eventually gets caught again, the stolen potion returns to the company, and he himself ends up as a neurochip.
That was his destined fate — unless I intervened.
Flash!
[Quest – The Fugitive of Celebrix]
John Skoige, a researcher from Celebrix Pharmaceuticals, is being hunted by an unknown group.
Burdened by guilt over the misuse of a drug he helped create, he seeks to set things right.
Assist him in achieving his goal and securing his safety.
-
Trust Through Negotiation
– Eliminate the gang “Blue Plane.”
Reward: 10 Ability Points -
???
Reward: ???
Failure: John Skoige dies. Mia Dunleavy’s trust decreases.
There it is.
“…Good.”
“Huh? Wh-what’s good?”
John blinked at me, confused.
I still didn’t know exactly why he was doing this,
but given the rewards — and that it put me against a company I’d already despised — there was no reason to refuse.
“I accept. So, I just have to take out Blue Plane, right?”
“Y-Yes, that’s… Wait, what?!”
He froze mid-nod, eyes widening.
“H-how did you know? I never told you the name—”
Before I could answer, Mia smoothly cut in.
“Hah, our top fixer has his ways! Anyway, since he’s accepted, shall we proceed with the advance transfer?”
“A-ah, no offense meant! I’m just… surprised. Honestly, impressed.”
“Yeah, people say that a lot,” she replied brightly. “Now, from here, you’ll be dealing with me. Eddie’s got other things to do! It’s a big job, so the sooner it’s done, the better!”
Just like that, Mia took command, already pulling up the contract.
She looked excited, but my sharpened [Perception] caught something beneath that smile.
That girl…
Did she notice that I didn’t want to reveal my information source?
Was that why she jumped in like that — to cover for me?
To anyone else, she looked the same as always,
but my [Perception] didn’t lie.
It was probably true.
“Sign here… Good. Eddie, anything else?”
When our eyes met, I shook my head.
No need. She’d handled it perfectly.
A capable handler, as always.
With that, I left the VIP room.
Next destination — Blue Plane.
The headquarters of the gang that would one day rule Sector 56.
